Ecological and phytosociological aspects of foredune vegetation in a neogenic beach of Tuscany coast (Italy)

(1)

ATTI

DELLA

SOCIETÀ TOSCANA

DI

SCIENZE NATURALI

MEMORIE • SERIE B • VOLUME CXXIII • ANNO 2016

(2)

Con il contributo del Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Pisa

(3)

INDICE - CONTENTS

D. IamonIco – Polycarpon tetraphyllum subsp.

arabicum comb. et stat. nov. (Caryophyllaceae), a

taxon from the Eastern Mediterranean-Arabian area

Polycarpon tetraphyllum subsp. arabicum comb. et stat. nov. (Caryophyllaceae), entità del Mediterra-neo orientale-Arabia

G. BonarI, D. cantInI, c. anGIolInI, F. SelvI, a. Scoppola, D. vIcIanI, G. FerrettI, a. Ga -BellInI, c. perInI, v. De DomInIcIS, n.m.G. arDenGhI, l. laStruccI – Contribution to the vascular flora of Pietraporciana Nature Reserve (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

Contributo alla flora vascolare della Riserva Na-turale di Pietraporciana (Toscana meridionale, Italia)

G. BuccomIno, m.l. leporattI, m. BIaGGI – La flora vascolare di Colle Pardo di Ariccia (Roma, Lazio)

The vascular flora of Colle Pardo in Ariccia (Rome, Lazio)

F. SelvI, l. DI FazIo, S. FerlI, e. carrarI – Contributo alla conoscenza floristica della valle del Torrente Sambre (Fiesole, Toscana)

Contribution to the flora of the Torrente Sambre valley (Fiesole, Tuscany)

A. StInca, m. ravo, v. GIacanellI, F. contI – Integrazioni alla flora vascolare dell’Isola di Ca-pri (Campania, Sud Italia)

Additions to the vascular flora of Island of Capri (Campania, South Italy)

l. peruzzI, D. vIcIanI, n. aGoStInI, c. anGIo -lInI, n.m.G. arDenGhI, G. aStutI, m.r. Bar -Daro, a. BertacchI, G. BonarI, S. BonI, m. chytrý, F. cIampolInI, m. D’antraccolI, G. DomIna, G. FerrettI, a. GuIGGI, D. IamonI -co, p. laGhI, l. laStruccI, l. lazzaro, v. laz -zerI, p. lIGuorI, m. mannoccI, G. marSIaj, p. novák, a. nuccI, B. pIerInI, F. roma-marzIo, B. romItI, a. SanI, a. zoccola, D. zukal, G. BeDInI – Contributi per una flora vascolare di Toscana. VIII (440-506)

Contributions for a vascular flora of Tuscany. VIII (440-506) pag. 5 » 9 » 29 » 41 » 65 » 71

A. BertacchI, t. carDuccI, t. lomBarDI – Ecological and phytosociological aspects of fore-dune vegetation in a neogenic beach of Tuscany Coast (Italy)

Aspetti ecologici e fitosociologici della vegetazione dunale in una spiaggia neogenica della costa tosca-na (Italia)

S. verGarI, G. DonDInI, m.a.l. zuFFI – Seaso-nal dynamic of a mountain lake in the northern Apennines: the case of ”Lago Nero” (Tuscany, Pistoia)

Dinamiche stagionali di un laghetto montano nell’Appennino settentrionale: il caso del “Lago Nero” (Toscana, Pistoia)

L. FavIllI, S. pIazzInI, G. manGanellI – Nuo-vi reperti di Cupido argiades (Pallas, 1771) in Toscana (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)

New records of Cupido argiades (Pallas, 1771) in Tuscany (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)

G. manGanellI, D. BarBato, a. BenoccI – I molluschi terrestri e d’acqua dolce del Monte Argentario

Terrestrial and freshwater molluscs of Monte Ar-gentario

G. InnocentI – Collections of the Natural History Museum of the University of Floren-ce - Zoological Section “La Specola”. XXXII. Phylum Echinodermata, Class Echinoidea

Cataloghi del Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Uni-versità di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia “La Speco-la”. XXXII. Phylum Echinodermata, Classe Echi-noidea

c. Spanò, I. GrIllI – Paolo Meletti: ricordo di un ricercatore, e non solo

n.e. BalDaccInI – In memoria di Floriano Papi (1926-2016), Accademico Linceo

RECENSIONE / BOOK REVIEW

Atlante degli Anfibi della Provincia di Grosseto (2003-2013), P. Giovacchini, V. Falchi, S.

Vigna-li, G. Radi, L. Passalacqua, F. Corsi, M. Porciani, F. Farsi di DanIele pellItterI roSa

PROCESSI VERBALI

Pubblicati (available at) Serie A and http://www.stsn.it » 83 » 93 » 99 » 103 » 129 » 151 » 155 » 167

(4)

(5)

Abstract - Ecological and phytosociological aspects of foredune vegeta-tion in a neogenic beach of Tuscany coast (Italy). An investigavegeta-tion of

foredune vegetation along 2 km stretch of coast of North West Tus-cany (Italy) has been conducted. This area has geomorphological fea-tures that are peculiar and different from the rest of the sandy shores of the Tuscan coast. The current beach of about 22 ha, is the result of recent deposits (from the early decades of the last century), resulting from the production of soda and mainly made from waste carbonate (CaCO₃ mainly) that are still discharged into the sea from a chemical factory nearby the coast. Thus, a marked progradation of this stretch of coastline, with a major development of dune vegetation in contrast with neighboring coastal areas, resulted. The vegetation analysis and zonation of plant communities show strong anomalies when com-pared with dune habitats of the nearby beaches. It has been noted that associations typical of ephemeral and embryonic dune such as

Salsolo-Cakiletum and Echinophoro - Elymetum, are almost absent.

These characteristic associations have now been replaced with extend-ed surfaces of Sporobolus virginicus and an anomalous distribution of

Echinophoro-Ammophiletum. This seems partly due to the significant

human interference but also to the particular type of substrate. When human interference is absent and the soil type changes, we see the recovery of the typical zonation.

Key words - dune habitats, sands, substrate, ecology, dune vegetation, Sporobolus

Riassunto - Aspetti ecologici e fitosociologici della vegetazione di duna in una spiaggia neogenica della costa toscana (Italia). È stata studiata

la vegetazione psammofila della “foredune” di un tratto di costa lun-go 2 km del Nord Ovest Toscana (Italia). Questo settore costiero ha caratteristiche geomorfologiche molto particolari e diverse dal resto delle coste sabbiose della costa toscana. L’attuale spiaggia di circa 22 ettari, è infatti il risultato di depositi recenti (dai primi decenni del secolo scorso), derivati dalla produzione di soda, prevalentemente a base di carbonati (CaCO₃ principalmente), che somo tuttora scaricati dallo stabilimento chimico Solvay nel tratto prospiciente alla spiaggia. Da ciò deriva una progradazione marcata di questo tratto di litorale, con uno sviluppo importante di vegetazione dunale in controtenden-za rispetto ai settori cos t ieri limitrofi, anche se l’analisi della vege-tazione mostra forti anomalie. È stata rilevata la quasi totale assenza delle associazioni tipiche della duna effimera e embrionale quali il

Salsolo-Cakiletum e l’Echinophoro-Elymetum, che risultano

prevalen-temente sostituite da estesi popolamenti monofitici di Sporobolus

vir-ginicus e una distribuzione anomala dell’Echinophoro-ammophiletum.

Ciò sembra in parte dovuto alla forte pressione antropica ma anche al particolare tipo di substrato. Infatti ove è assente la pressione antropi-ca e mutano le antropi-caratteristiche pedologiche, si assiste alla ripresa di una normale zonazione.

Parole chiave - habitat dunali, sabbia, substrato, ecologia, vegetazione

dunale, Sporobolus

IntroductIon

Phytocenosis that populate the beach-dune system are strongly conditioned, in their attendance, spread and coverage, by the physical and chemical characteristics of the substrate, by micro-topography and by system modifications as sea erosion or anthropic disturbance (Ranwell, 1972; Hesp, 2008; Bertacchi et al., 2009; Er-cole et al., 2007).

Those kinds of plant populations usually occur along an ecological gradient that develops from the shoreline to inland, following a well-defined zonation (Pignat-ti, 1993; Acosta et al., 2007). Particularly interesting from a naturalist point of view and with ecological relevance are the inhabitant populations of the fore-dune, or rather the areas between the shore line and the dunal cacumen (Barbour, 1992). This is because they are formed by psammophilous species suited to living in particularly hostile environments and be-cause they form plant communities deputies to build the dunal system and his morphological maintenance (Doody, 2013). In this context is possible to find some associations that define three essential habitats (sensu Directive 92/43/EEC): annual vegetation of drift lines (H1210), embryonic dunes (H2110), mediterranean white dunes (H2120).

The three main associations (Salsolo kalii-Cakiletum maritimae, Echinophoro spinosae-Elymetum farcti, Echinophoro spinosae-Ammophiletum arundinaceae) (Pignatti, 1993) that respectively feature the three hab-itat mentioned above, are often flanked by sub-associ-ations, variants, facies, or others local or less common associations (Biondi & Galdenzi, 2014).

Often the attendance and the distribution, as well as the floristic cortege of these associations, are supposed to be an indicator of the conservation state or, on the contrary, of the decay of the beach-dune system (Acos-ta et al., 2000; Ber(Acos-tacchi & Lombardi, 2014).

AndreA BertAcchI, t. cArduccI, tIzIAnA LomBArdI (*)

ECOLOGICAL AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

OF FOREDUNE VEGETATION IN A NEOGENIC BEACH

OF TUSCANY COAST (ITALY)

(*) Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Agro-ambientali (DiSAAA-a) – Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy e-mail: andrea.bertacchi@unipi.it

Atti Soc. Tosc. Sci. Nat., Mem., Serie B, 123 (2016) pagg. 83-92; fig. 6, tab. 4; doi: 10.2424/ASTSN.M.2016.07

(6)

84 A. BERTACCHI, T. CARDUCCI, T. LOMBARDI

As part of studies on psammophilous environments of Tuscany’s coast, the dunal populations observed in a part of sandy littoral denominated “white beach-es”, in Vada (LI), has highlighted evident alteration in spread and coverage. This is mainly because of a high anthropic pressure caused by seaside fruition and by the contextual seasonal operations of beach cleaning (Bertacchi et al., 2010). Nevertheless, in the area where these operations do not occur, because of a bathing restriction that makes the beach inaccessi-ble, there is the most pronounced peculiarity of this dune vegetation landscape.

The aim of this research was to investigate this unusu-al vegetation landscape in relation to the modification of the coastline, to anthropogenic changes and the particular type of substrate.

StudyAreA

The study area is situated on the coastal part (43° 22’ 46. 44” N ; 10° 26’ 29 13 E) that goes from Rosigna-no Solvay to Vada (Li, Tuscany), commonly kRosigna-nown as white beaches, referring to the white sand color of this coast. The area is bordered by “Punta del Lillatro” in the North and by “Pennello di Pietrabianca” in the South. It covers a length of 2,2 km, a depth that ranges between 50 and 120 m and a total surface of about 22 ha (Bertacchi et al., 2010) (Fig. 1).

The beach-dune system of this coastal part is de-scribed as “beach and dunes of white carbonate sand of industrial origin (1920-now)” and has to be con-sidered a neo-genic formation beach (Squarci, 2002). Here the coast is affected by a longshore drift headed south and there is no significant input of a natural sed-iment source.

The only river is the Fine River that flows into the mid-dle of the area and brings an irrelevant quantity of sed-iment source. Mainly clay type, this sedsed-iment source is not adequate for the amount of the actual pedolog-ical arrangement and for the progradation rhythm of the shoreline. The only significant input of sediment comes from the carbonate sand dump which is in-dustrial in origin and is brought by the Solvay factory through a waste water canal, the “Fosso Bianco”(liter-ally the White Trench) (Pranzini, 1978).

With an approximate estimated mass flow rate of sus-pended solid from 130.000 to 200.000 tons circa per year, through this trench the waste of the soda produc-tion flows into the sea. The waste is mainly made by Calcium Carbonate (limestone) and, in smaller quan-tities by Calcium Sulfate (gypsum) and Magnesium Sulfate (Cheli &Luzzati, 2010).

From the termo-pluviometrical data of the closest meteorological station in Collemezzano (Cecina) is possible to obtain the yearly average depth of the

rainfall, pertaining to the years 1989-2010. It is about 790 mm with a maximum of rainfall in Autumn, an average temperature of 15,2°C and a period of Sum-mer dryness with a water deficit from June to Sep-tember.

According to Rivas Martinez’s bioclimatic classifica-tion (2004), the area belongs to the Mediterranean macrobioclimate, low meso-mediterranean belt and low sub-humid ombrotype.

The white beaches, despite their industrial origin and their proximity to a big factory such as Solvay estab-lishment, attract a large number of tourists with a high surface exploitation during the Spring and Summer season.

Fig. 1 Location of the study area and of the shoreline in 1954 and in 2013.

Fig. 1 - Location of the study area and of the shoreline in 1954 and in 2013.

(7)

ECOLOGICAL AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF FOREDUNE VEGETATION IN A NEOGENIC BEACH OF TUSCANY COAST (ITALY) 85 Fi g. 2 - A : l an ds ca pe m ap o f t he s tu dy a re a; B 1: a ng ol ate v ie w o f t he no rt h s tr et ch ; B 2: a ng ol ate v ie w o f t he s out h s t r et ch ( ae rop ho to s b y c ou rte sy o f U .S .-P .D .S .C .-L I)

(8)

methodS

The plant associations and the concerning habitats of the foredune have been mapped using photo inter-pretation with aerial imagery from WMS Geoscopio platform (Regione Toscana), with GIS MapInfo® and with field analysis. Two other spatial typologies, distin-guishable in the system, have been mapped: the natu-ral aphytoic strip that is natunatu-rally free from vegetation, and the anthropic aphytoic strip where psammophile vegetation could potentially live, but doesn’t because of the human activity (Bertacchi et al., 2009). For the vegetation analysis, 30 phytosociological surveys have been collected, using the sigmatist school method from Zurigo-Montpellier (Braun-Blanquet, 1979). The surveys have been taken only on the psammophilous vegetation coverage of the foredune, excluding the in-land areas of the stabilized dunes. The vegetation data collected have been subjected to a multivariate analysis procedure using the software Syntax (Podani, 2001). The (29 species x 30 surveys) matrix has been analyzed according to Cluster Analysis, using UPGMA algo-rithm and the Brian/Curtis similarity measure.

The subsequent surveys processing and the compari-son with the literature data has enabled the assignment of syntaxonomical characterisation to every vegetation

unit collected. The collected plants’ nomenclature fol-lows Conti et al. (2005) and Pignatti (1982).

For the soil analysis, 12 sand samples have been col-lected at a depth range from 20 to 30 cm in 3 different sectors of the study area in relation with the dunal ty-pologies investigated (annual vegetation of drift lines, embryonic dune, mediterranean white dune) plus 3 other samples in the inland stabilized dune to have some reference values out of the foredune. The follow-ing analysis has been made of the samples: Granular Composition (soil texture), determined by sieving; Carbonates (ISO 10693); pH (ISO 10390); Electrical Conductivity (ISO 11265); Organic Matter estimated as loss-on-ignition.

reSuLtS

The geo-referenced superimposition of the carto-graphic aerial photos taken between 1954 and now has highlighted a shoreline progradation to a maximum of about 90 mt, with a beach spatial increase of about 15 ha. From the resulting cartography of the area, the contemporary landscape of the beach-dune system could be divided in: natural aphytoic area (2,5 ha; an-thropic aphyotic area (9,5 ha); annual vegetation of drift

Fig. 3: Cluster Analysis graphic applied to the 30 surveys.

Fig. 4 –Analytic values of the sand samples ( Eph: annual vegetation of drift lines; Emb: embryonic dune; Whi: white dune; Fix: Fixed dune; n.p.: not present)

(9)

ECOLOGICAL AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF FOREDUNE VEGETATION IN A NEOGENIC BEACH OF TUSCANY COAST (ITALY) 87

lines (H1210) (0,16 ha); embryonic dune (H2110) (2,3 ha); mediterranean white dune (H2120) (3,8 ha) (Fig. 2). The vegetation characteristics of the area could be bet-ter observed in a more detailed way, integrating the phytosociology survey’s data (Tabb. 1,2,3,4) with the statistic elaborations summarized in the graphic of the Principal Coordinate Analysis (Fig. 3). Cluster analy-sis divides with sufficient significance four different phytocenosis typologies belonging respectively to an-nual vegetation of drift lines, embryonic dune, with two significant variations and to the mediterranean white dune. From phytosociological point of view, the veg-etation typologies identified and diversified by topo-graphical localization, are the follows:

AnnuALvegetAtIonofdrIftLIne (H1210)

- Salsolo kalii-Cakiletum maritimae Costa & Manz 1981 corr. Riv.-Mart. et al. 1992

emBryonIcdune (H2110)

- Sporoboletum arenarii (Arénes 1924) Géhu & Biondi 1994

- Echinophoro spinosae-Elymetum farcti Géhu 1988

whItedune (H2120)

- Echinophoro spinosae - Ammophiletum arundinaceae Géhu, Rivas-Martinez, R.Tx 1992 The spatial distribution of the anthropic aphyto-ic strip appears uniformly distributed along all the

area, according to the depth reached by the beach and, excluding the mouth of the Fine, it seems to be without interruptions (Fig.2). Otherwise, the ent identified vegetation typologies seem to differ-entiate by total extension, distribution, and partly by zonation. The annual vegetation of the drift lines is almost non-existent from a spatial point of view (total of 0,16 ha) and the association that character-izes it (Salsolo kalii-Cakiletum maritimae) seems to be extremely rarefied, with weak coverage and with the few species that naturally characterize it in a very small number (Tab.1).

The embryonic dune, from the vegetation point of view, is almost exclusively represented by Sporoboletum are-narii, while the Echinophoro spinosae-Elymetum farcti, representative association of this habitat and basically common and widespread in Tuscany coastline, here only occurs with marginal and insignificant coverage. In fact, the embryonic dune, in the foredune in the north of the Fine river, near the discharge channel of the carbonate solids is exclusively populated by Spo-roboletum arenarii, while in the southern sector of the Fine river it occurs in a thin and discontinuous strip with Elymus farctus (Tabb. 2,3).

The granulometry of the sand samples collected high-lighted as the pedological substrate is almost exclu-sively represented by fine sand ranged from 0,2 and 0,1 mm of diameter, without remarkable differenc-es among all sampldifferenc-es. Thdifferenc-ese fine sands are almost

Fig. 4 - Analytic values of the sand samples ( Eph: annual vegetation of drift lines; Emb: embryonic dune; Whi: white dune; Fix: Fixed dune; n.p.: not present).

(10)

entirely made by carbonate aggregation with fluctuat-ing values, in the foredune, from 91 to 97%. Those values are averagely double compared to the other of the Tuscany’s coastline and devoid of quartz (Anselmi et al., 1978). Only in the stabilized dune, do the values considerably decrease (74.4-85.3 %). The organic mat-ter is always lower than 1%, reached also in the case of the stabilized dune. Salinity values, already quite low in the band of the annual vegetation of the drift lines, become irrelevant moving inland; pH registers values always definitely high, between 9,2 and 10,2 and basi-cally uniform among the bands (Fig. 4).

These sands represent a singularity despite the

aver-age composition of the Italian shoreline sands, that, in their elevated difference in mineralogical compo-sition, range between 20% and 80% of carbonate compounds with a relevant attendance of the quartz fraction (Audisio & Muscio, 2008).

dIScuSSIon

In literature is highlighted how the pounding, the permanence, the access or any cleaning, smoothing, shaping operations could influence the distribution of the psammophilous populations on sandy coastline, Tab. 1 - Salsolo kali-Cakiletum maritimae Costa e Manzanet 1981 nom.mut. propos. in Rivas-Martínez et al. 2002

Survey n° 7 8 23 12 13 25 Metersa.s.l. 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.7 Sq.m 4 10 6 4 2 6 Total cover % 10 10 8 5 5 5 Species n° 3 6 2 2 1 1 Habitat H1210 H1210 H1210 H1210 H1210 H1210

Cakile maritima Scop. subsp. maritima r r 1 r r +

Salsola kali L. + . + . . .

Atriplex littoralis L. + 1 + . . .

Xanthium orientale L. subsp. italicum (Moretti)

Greuter . r + r .

Elymus farctus (Viv.) Runemark ex Melderis subsp.

farctus . . + . . .

Sporobolus virginicus Kunth . . . + +

Euphorbia paralias L. . . r . . .

Tab. 2 - Sporoboletum arenarii (Arénes 1924) Géhu & Biondi 1994

Survey n° 1 2 3 5 6 11 14 15 17 18 Metersa.s.l. 1.5 2 2.5 2.5 1 2.5 1.5 2 2.5 2 Sq.m 6 12 12 6 10 6 10 6 6 6 Total cover % 45 80 80 80 50 10 50 45 60 60 Species n° 1 1 1 1 3 4 3 4 5 2 Habitat H2110 H2110 H2110 H2110 H2110 H2110 H2110 H2110 H2110 H2110

Sporobolus virginicus Kunth 5 4 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 2

Elymus farctus (Viv.) Runemark ex

Melderis subsp. farctus . . . . + r 1 r + .

Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link subsp.

australis (Mabille) Lainz . . . + 1 1 Cakile maritima Scop. subsp. maritima . . . . r . .

Calystegia soldanella (L.)

Roem.&Schult. . . . . + . . . . .

Echinophora spinosa L. . . . . . + r .

Eryngium maritimum L. . . . . . r . . . .

(11)

in different and in more or less effective way (Curr et al., 2000; Doody, 2013, Ciccarelli, 2014; Bertacchi & Lombardi, 2014). At the same time, the different dune phytocenosis and their zonation are strongly related to soil characteristics, as organic matter content, pH and salinity (Ranwell, 1972; Isermann, 2005; Frederiksen et al., 2006; Fenu et al., 2103).

In the coastal area investigated, in the same way as the other Tuscan sandy shoreline, the anthropic distur-bance comes out constantly through the years, with the presence of an aphytoic strip that implies the im-possibility of the evolution of a dune system and a nor-mal zonation. The areas where the activities mentioned above occur for most of the year are superimposed, in large scale, with the one that should be occupied from some of the habitat as H1210 e H2120 that occur in absence of disturbance. Indeed the annual vegetation of drift lines (H1210) is almost non-existent and the embryonic dune (H2110) is only exclusively present in the north sector of the Fine River, while, on the south is only restricted to a thin and discontinuous strip. Some photographic surveys taken in late Winter , be-fore cleaning, in the south sector of the Fine, confirm the potential vegetation that could possibly grow here. In fact, these surveys have highlighted a reconstruction dynamic of the psammophilous vegetation with Cakile maritima and Elymus farctus , in the large drift line in connection with the embryonic dune, successively transformed by the beach cleaning operations (Fig. 5). Outside of the area of anthropic action or on the hedge, the white dune (H2120) seems to be the only partially conserved habitat.

However, in this case study, in the conditioning factors can also be highlight an other anthropogenic factor: an indirect factor releated to pedologic characteristics. Effectively in the North sector of the area investigated

by us, where the cleaning operations are not prone to happen and there is a low presence of tourists, both Cakiletum and Elymetum are missing and it is possi-ble to observe the prevailing development of only one vegetation association: Sporoboletum arenarii (Fig. 2a). In literature, Sporoboletum arenarii (Arénes, 1924) Géhu & Biondi, 1994 is often referred as an associa-tion that is possible to find from the halo-nitrophilous zone of the Cakiletum to the beginning of the embry-onic dune, in particularly disturbed regions or where the penetration of the wave motion occurs (Gehu et al., 1984; Biondi et al., 2004). The presence of the associa-tion is already documented along the Tuscan coastline, but it has never been noted as being so extended and predominant.

In this area, this association seems to be the more rep-resentative of the embryonic band (87%, 2 ha circa), distributed from the drift line to the foredune cacu-men, creating almost mono-specific populations (cfr. Tab. 1, Rill.1,2,3,5) (Fig. 6).

Although the analytical data of the sand samples could not be considered indicative of the entire system, com-pared with presence/absence of the Sporoboletum, there seems to exist a correlation between this associ-ation and this special kind of soil. Specifically, where the CaCO₃ and pH values are higher and, by contrast, the organic matter values are smallest. Independently when the typology of the dune is considered - annu-al vegetation of the drift line, embryonic or white – Sporoboletum seems to be the only association able to colonize the surfaces. This trend begins to stop with the decrease of the CaCO₃ and pH values. Therefore, even if in an extremely limited way, with the increase of the organic matter content in the mono-specific Sporoboletum, starts to penetrate other species, un-til these species are gradually replaced in the shared Tab. 3 - Echinophoro spinosae-Elymetum farcti Géhu & Biondi 1988

Survey n° 9 16 6 19 Metersa.s.l. 0.5 1 1 1 Sq.m 6 6 6 6 Total cover % 8 10 10 10 Species n° 5 5 4 3 Habitat H2110 H2110 H2110 DH2110

Elymus farctus (Viv.) Runemark ex Melderis subsp. farctus 1 1 1 1

Echinophora spinosa L. + + 1 +

Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link subsp. australis (Mabille) Lainz + + + +

Calystegia soldanella (L.) Roem.&Schult. . . . +

Euphorbia paralias L. . . . 1

Hypochaeris radicata L. + . . .

Poligonum maritimum L. +

Sporobolus virginicus Kunth + r . .

(12)

Fig. 5 – Before (up) and after (down) the beach cleaning operations.

Fig. 6 –The large extension of Sporoboletum arenarii in the northern sector of the beach along the entire shape

of the foredune .

Fig. 6 - The large extension of Sporoboletum arenarii in the northern sector of the beach along the entire shape of the foredune . Fig. 5 - Before (top) and after (bottom) the beach cleaning operations.

Fig. 5 – Before (up) and after (down) the beach cleaning operations.

Fig. 6 –The large extension of Sporoboletum arenarii in the northern sector of the beach along the entire shape of the foredune .

(13)

dunal typology by Elymetum and by Ammophiletum on the white dune (Fig. 2, Fig. 4).

Salinity, that is slightly higher in the samples collect-ed on the strip of the annual vegetation of drift lines, seems to be another selection element for Sporobole-tum that however can also be found in the sectors of the embryonic dune and white dune, where the salini-ty values highly decrease (cfr. Fig. 4).

The vegetation landscape of the foredune in the white beaches seems to be deeply conditioned by anthropic ac-tion. Primarily because in all likelihood without the

de-posits of industrial origin the beach-dune system could not have developed. The strong progradation of the shoreline, in contrast with the important erosion process that is occurring in the neighboring coast and in the oth-er part of the Tuscany (GNRAC, 2006), is undoubtedly connected with dump of the carbonatic industrial waste. In this particular context, an important coverage of psammophilous vegetation has evolved. Nevertheless the steady rearrangement of the beach has preventes the natural development on higher surface and the for-mation of new dune lines. Where this does not occur, Tab. 4 - Echinophoro spinosae-Ammophiletum australis (Br.-Bl. 1933) Géhu, Rivas-Martinez & R. Tx. 1972 in Géhu et al.1984 Rilievo n. 10 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 Survey n° 3 2.5 3 3 3 1.5 2 3 3 3 Elevation (m a.s.l.) 12 50 12 25 30 60 50 50 25 25 Sq.m 70 80 65 100 80 70 80 50 80 100 Total cover % 5 6 1 8 9 8 11 6 Habitat H2120 H2120 H2120 H2120 H2120 H2120 H2120 H2120 H2120 H2120

Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link

subsp. australis (Mabille) Lainz 2 2 5 4 4 3 3 1 + +

Echinophora spinosa L. . 1 . + r . + + . . Anthemis maritima L. _. . . . 1 . . . Bromus madritensis L. . . . + + . . . Calystegia soldanella (L.) Roem.&Schult. . . r + + . . Crepis vesicaria L. s.l. . r . . . . Crithmum maritimum L. . . . . + . . . .

Cutandia maritima (L.) Barbey . . . r . . . .

Elymus farctus (Viv.) Runemark

ex Melderis subsp. farctus + r . . . + + . .

Eryngium maritimum L. 1 . . . + + r . . . Euphorbia paralias L. . + + + 1 + . . . . Hypochaeris radicata L. . . . . + . . . . . Limbarda crithmoides L. Dumort s.l. + . . . . Lagurus ovatus L. s.l. . . . . + . . . . .

Medicago littoralis Loisel . . . 1 . . . .

Pancratium maritimum L. . . . + . . .

Reichardia picroides L. Roth . r . + . . + + . .

Solidago littoralis Savi . . . r . . .

Spartina versicolor Fabre . . . 2 4 4

Sporobolus virginicus Kunth 1 . . . .

Urospermum dalechampii (L.)

F.W.Schmidt . . . r r + . . . +

Vulpia fasciculata (Forssk.)

(14)

the particular kind of substrate influences the develop-ment of some defined phytocenosis more than others. In conclusion, from the data collected, it is possible to hypothesize a division of the human impact on the vegetation landscape of the white sands foredune of “white beaches”. In one sector on the northern side of the Fine, the elements that influence the expression of different phytocenosis can be mainly attributed to the peculiar characteristics of the carbonate substra-tum, while south the principal element of disturbance seems to be the persistent land consumption.

REFERENCES

AcoStA A., BLASI c., eSpoSIto S., StAnIScI A., 2000. Analisi della

vegetazione delle dune costiere del Lazio centro meridionale.

Informatore Botanico Italiano 32 (1): 5-10.

AcoStA A., ercoLe S., StAnIScI A., de pAttA pILLAr v., BLASI

C., 2007. Coastal vegetation zonation and dune morphology in some Mediterranean Ecosystems. Journal of Coastal Research 23(6): 1518-1524.

AnSeLmI B., BrondI A., fALchI g., ferrettI O., 1978.

Lineamen-ti granulometrici e mineralogici generali dei sedimenLineamen-ti fluviali e costieri del territorio italiano. Memorie della Società

Geologi-ca Italiana 19: 307-314.

AudISIo p., muScIo G., 2008. Dune e spiagge sabbiose: aspetti

geologici e geomorfologici. Quaderni Habitat n° 4, Ministero

dell’Ambiente e del Territorio, Museo Friulano di Scienze Na-turali.

BArBour M.G., 1992. Life at the leading edge: the beach plant

syn-drome. In: Seelinger U. (ed.), Coastal plant communities of La-tin America: 291-307. Academic Press, New York.

BertAcchI A., LomBArdI t., BoccI G., 2009. Il paesaggio

vege-tale dell’ambiente dunale di Calambrone nel litorale pisano (Toscana settentrionale). Informatore Botanico Italiano 41(2): 281-292.

BertAcchI A., LomBArdI t., BALdAccI S., tomeI p.e., 2010.

Al-terazione antropica e zonazione della vegetazione dunale: le spiagge bianche di Rosignano-Vada(LI). Book of Abstracts, 105th Congress of the Italian Botanical Society: 92.

BertAcchI A., LomBArdI t., 2014. Diachronic analysis

(1954-2010) of transformations of the dune habitat in a stretch of the Northern Tyrrhenian Coast (Italy). Plant Biosystems 148(2): 27-36. DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2013.788572

BIondI e., BrugIApAgLIA e., fArrIS e., fILIgheddu r., SecchI

Z., 2004. Halophilous vegetation of Olbia pond system (NE-Sardinia). Fitosociologia 41(1): 125-141.

BIondI e., gALdenzI d., 2014. Syntaxonomic considerations of

the Mediterranean vegetation dominated by perennial psam-mophilous graminaceous plants. Plant Sociology 51(1): 25-32. DOI 10.7338/pls2014512S1/03

BrAun-BLAnquet J., 1979. Fitosociologia. Base para el estudio de los

comunidadeds vegetales. Blume, Madrid.

cheLI B., LuzzAtI T., 2010. La Solvay in Val di Cecina. Ricadute

socio-economiche e ambientali di una grande industria chimica sul territorio. Edizioni Plus, Pisa.

cIccAreLLI D., 2014. Mediterranean Coastal Sand Dune

Vegeta-tion: Influence of Natural and Anthropogenic Factors.

Envi-ronmental Management 54: 194-204. DOI

10.1007/s00267-014-0290-2

contI f., ABBAte g., ALeSSAndrInI A., BLASI C., 2005. An

an-notated checklist of the Italian vascular flora. Palombi Editori,

Roma.

curr r.h.f., Koh A., edwArdS e., wILLIAmS A.t., dAvIeS P.,

2000. Assessing anthropogenic impact on Mediterranean sand dunes from aerial digital photography. Journal of Coastal

Con-servation 6: 15-22.

doody J.p., 2013. Sand dune conservation, management and

resto-ration. Springer, Heidelberg.

ercoLe S., AcoStA A., BLASI C., 2007. Stato delle conoscenze e

alterazioni indotte dal disturbo sulle fitocenosi delle coste sab-biose laziali. Fitosociologia 44(1): 129-137.

fenu g., cArBonI m., AcoStA A.t.r., BAcchettA G., 2013.

En-vironmental factors influencing coastal vegetation pattern: new insights from the Mediterranean basin. Folia Geobotanica 48(4):493-508.

frederIKSen L., KoLLmAn J., veStergAArd p., Bruun h., 2006.

A multivariate approach to plant community distribution in the coastal dune zonation of NW Denmark. Phytocoenologia 36: 321-342.

gehu J.m., coStA m., ScoppoLA A., BIondI e., mArchIorI S.,

perIS J.B., frAncK J., cAnIgLIA g., verI L., 1984. Essai

syn-systematique et synchorologique sur les vegetations littorals italiennes dans un but conservatoire. Documents

Phytosocio-logique n.s. 8: 393-474.

GNRAC, 2006. Lo stato dei litorali italiani. In: Pranzini E. (ed.),

Studi Costieri 10. Università di Firenze.

heSp p.A., 2008. Coastal dunes in the tropics and temperate

re-gions: location, formation, morphology and vegetation processes.

In: mArtínez m.L., pSuty n.p. (eds.), Coastal Dunes: 29-49.

Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

ISermAnn M., 2005. Soil pH and Species Diversity in Coastal

Du-nes. Plant Ecology 178: 111-120.

pIgnAttI S., 1982. Flora d’Italia. Vol. 3. Edagricole, Bologna.

pIgnAttI S., 1993. Dry coastal ecosystems of Italy. In: vAn der

mAAreL E. (ed.), Dry coastal ecosystems. Polar regions and

Eu-rope. Ecosystems of the world 2A: 379-390. Elsevier,

Amster-dam.

podAnI J., 2001. Syn-tax 2000. Computer program for data analysis

in ecology and systematics. Scientia Publishing, Budapest.

prAnzInI E., 1978. Dispersione delle sabbie carbonatiche di

disca-rica a sud di Rosignano Solvay. Bollettino della Società

Geolo-gica Italiana 97: 439-450.

rAnweLL D.S., 1972. Ecology of salt marshes and sand dunes.

Chapman and Hall, London.

rIvAS-mArtInez S., 2004. Global bioclimatics.

http://www.biocli-matics.org (accessed 30/05/2014).

SquArcI P., 2002. Componente geologico - tecnica ed idrogeologica.

Relazione, Quadro conoscitivo del piano strutturale. Comune di

Rosignano M.mo (LI).

vAgge I., BIondI E., 1999. La vegetazione delle coste sabbiose del

Tirreno settentrionale italiano. Fitosociologia 36(2): 61-96. (ms. pres. 6 aprile 2016; ult. bozze 6 febbraio 2017)

(15)

Edizioni ETS

Piazza Carrara, 16-19, I-56126 Pisa info@edizioniets.com - www.edizioniets.com

(16)